Law360, New York (August 23, 2011) -- Intel Corp. and two other semiconductor manufacturers were accused in Delaware federal court Monday of producing low-power microprocessors that infringe a patented power management system.

Patent-holding company Power Management Systems LLC claims that Intel, Freescale Semiconductor Inc. and Marvell Semiconductor Ltd. have infringed U.S. Patent Number 5,504,909 — titled "Power management apparatus collocated on the same integrated circuit as the functional unit that it manages" — by producing chips that include a power management system that regulates the use of electrical energy in the internal portion of an integrated circuit, or microchip.

The suit says the defendants' microchips — Intel's Atom Z6xx series, Freescale's i.MX515 and Marvell's PXA940, which are used in netbooks, tablet computers and smartphones — infringe at least one claim of the '909 patent. Marvell acquired the PXA9xx series of microchips from Intel in 1996.

The complaint seeks damages for the alleged infringement.

The '909 patent, issued in 1996, covers a novel power management system for integrated circuits, according to the suit. The system regulates the use of electrical energy in the internal portion of an integrated circuit by coupling and decoupling electrical signals passed between the internal and external portions of the circuit, it says.

The complaint alleges that Intel, Freescale and Marvell manufacture and sell integrated circuits that include a power management apparatus that couple and decouple internal and external electrical functional circuits.

Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy said late Monday that the company had just learned about the suit and couldn't comment. Representatives for Freescale and Marvell couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

An attorney for the plaintiff declined to comment Tuesday.

The patent-in-suit is U.S. Patent Number 5,504,909.

Power Management Systems is represented by Bryan G. Harrison of Morris Manning & Martin LLP and Neal C. Belgam of Proctor Heyman LLP.

Counsel information for the defendants was not immediately available.

The case is Power Management Systems LLC v. Freescale Semiconductor Inc. et al., case number 1:11-cv-00743, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.

--Editing by Chris Giganti.

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